


Across the Universe Divide

by Kathryn_r16



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Airbending & Airbenders, Avatar, Earthbending & Earthbenders, F/M, Firebending & Firebenders, Mental Health Issues, OCD, Past Avatars - Freeform, Romance, Secret Avatar, Social Anxiety, Suicidal Thoughts, Terraforming, Waterbending & Waterbenders, avatar spirit - Freeform, korra - Freeform, kyoshi - Freeform, raava - Freeform, space travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 07:14:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27159866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kathryn_r16/pseuds/Kathryn_r16
Summary: In the year 550 AG, shy, nineteen-year-old Yong Sato is about to leave on a voyage to Koh, a recently terraformed planet close to Earth. She also has a huge secret: she's the 189th Avatar. She's known as one of the world's greatest firebenders, which is the reason for her participation in this mission to populate Koh. Unbeknownst to everyone else, she's also an incredible air and waterbender, though try as she might, she can't bend earth.
Relationships: Yong Sato (OC)/Chuu So (OC)





	Across the Universe Divide

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone!! This is my first fic ever, and I'm super excited to share!
> 
> About a week ago, I was listening to the song Highwayman by The Highwaymen. It's a song I've loved ever since I was a kid (I say as a fifteen-year-old, lol), when my dad would play it. I know this is starting to feel like a recipe blog, but please bear with me. I realized a while ago that the song very well captures Raava. I say Raava instead of just Avatars mostly because of the phrasing; the way the lives in "Highwayman" are referred to as one entity. A song about Avatars would be, say, Legends Never Die by Against the Current. Each of the verses is about a life, moving forward through history. In the last verse, the person says that they "fly a starship/Across the universe divide", and from that I fell in love with the idea of a space-traveling Avatar.
> 
> Yong has gone through so many changes, from the moment I conceived of her to now. At first I wasn't even going to actually write anything about her story. Back then she was autistic, trans, and deaf, but I realized that I was not equipped to portray any of those situation, as I had not lived them. After I cancelled her being deaf, I wanted to have her be selectively mute, but I ran into the same issue. Now, she just has social anxiety and tries to avoid one-on-one conversations. Somewhere along the lines, OCD somehow snuck in there. That's a concept I'm more than capable of writing about, although it manifests somewhat differently for her than it does for me. One of her main obsessions is with her hair, making sure that it is symmetrical. She also has frequent OCD-fueled suicidal thoughts. Originally, she was going to be a late-discovered Avatar like Kyoshi, but with her identity already revealed by the time she left for Koh. I realized that there was no way any authority would allow the Avatar to leave Earth. Physically, current Yong is very similar to Yong 1.0, other than her sex, obviously. I added freckles across her nose and cheeks, and got rid of her bangs, when I realized that they wouldn't really work well with her obsession. Her overall vibe mostly stayed the same, but I think she got more pessimistic.
> 
> There will definitely be spoilers in this work, from ATLA, LOK, the Kyoshi novels, and the comics from both series, except Katara and the Pirate's silver, which I haven't read yet. Please, please, please do not read this if you are not caught up on those, for your own sake.
> 
> There will be elements of this work that could be triggering to some people, such as mentions of suicide, and heavy suicidal ideation. There won't be any self-harm. Probably. I'll put another warning in the notes of that chapter if I do do that. There may be swearing, not I'm sure yet. If more trigger warnings need to be added, I will, in the notes at the beginning of the chapters that contain them.
> 
> I have no idea how often I'll be able to update, because I'm kind of in a crazy place right now with school and Drivers Ed. I'll do what I can. I have so much of this in my head already, so it probably won't be too hard to get it down.
> 
> Since I don't have social anxiety myself, I may end up finding writing a character with it to be challenging. I really want to accurately represent the experiences of so many people, so please let me know about anything I can do to make this more realistic. I would value input from social anxiety so much. You can just use AO3, or email me at kathryn7rice@gmail.com
> 
> I promise that this will be by far the longest intro.
> 
> Thanks, Kathryn

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP BEEP-BEEP-BEEP BEE-  
I fumble to turn off her 7 A.M. alarm and immediately hoist my tired body out of my huge bed. Normally, I would let herself rest for at least a few more minutes, contemplating the concept of starting the day, but today is different. It’s June 30th, the last day before the party, which will probably last all day.  
The party.  
The party, which will mark my departure for at least a year. A year away from everything familiar, but also a year to live my life on my own terms, which, admittedly, probably aren't that exciting. But I’ve always been a loner, even when I’m surrounded by people. This way, I’ll just be freer. Hopefully.  
I head over to my closet to pick out an outfit. To some, the selection might appear depressingly repetitive and plain, but, to be honest, I don’t really care. As long as I can blend in, I’m satisfied. That’s why my wardrobe consists of almost entirely red and black clothes.  
That’s one thing I’m both looking forward to and dreading about the trip: I’ll be able to dress with a more varied color palette. That’ll mean I look more unique (in a bad way) and noticeable, but I also get sick of the same two-toned scheme occasionally.  
It is strange, how the Fire Nation was once possibly the most individualistic of all the countries, but these days it’s by far the most uniform, valuing tradition more than anywhere else in the world. Especially out in the country, on Sei’naka Island. I mean, about a third of the people here (mostly elders and prominent, uppity community members) still wear topknots!  
I packed my clothes weeks ago, so I only have about half of my usual collection to choose from. I pull on a black sleeveless top and loose, flared crimson pants over it.  
In my bathroom, I contemplate my hair; the bane of my existence. For reasons no one can fathom, especially not me, it is medium-pale orange-brown. I mean, who ever even heard of hair that color?! I would fit in so well, if not for my head looking like the feathers of a bird trying to attract a mate. As for why I don’t dye it, my parents have strictly forbidden us from doing so while I live under their roof. Not that my sister ever would. That’s another thing I’m looking forward to about leaving: while my clothes may stand out more, my hair won’t. Wanting to make the most of my short time left, I decide to only use a minute to simply put it into pigtails.  
But that minute turns into two, and then three, and then ten as I do and undo them, hoping to get them perfectly even, or at least as close as is possible. Maybe if I wasn’t already so anxious I would be fine with one or two attempts, but unfortunately that is not the case. I find my brain working against me, as it so often does; searching for imperfections in the part, the height on my scalp, and everything else. Eventually, I give in and do a simple ponytail, with fewer factors. I usually prefer to have my hair in two parts, but I decide that this will have to suffice.  
As I’m rubbing lotion onto my dry face, I’m hit with a strong, sudden, wave of something I can’t say I expected: homesickness. And I’m not even gone yet! For the house, and the area, yes, but something else, too… my family? That’s strange. I’m not really close to any of them, or at least as close as most people are to theirs, and I thought I had already made peace with the idea of leaving them.  
Overwhelmed by the unexpected sensation, I decide to get out of the house. Not wanting to face my parents, I slip on simple sandals from my closet (unfortunately not as good for movement as my shoes downstairs) go out the door to my balcony, and descend the adjoining staircase.  
Once I’m on the ground level, I cross a patio and a driveway, delicately push my way through tall hedges, slip through a broken section of chain-link fence, and finally push through another set of hedges. Why not just take the normal way, down the driveway and out the front gate? Because then I would have to talk to Kee’a, our guard. That’s right, we have a guard. How pretentious. I suppose I like Kee’a; I’ve known her since I was born and she’s always been kind to me, but she’s much too talkative for my tastes, and I simply don’t have the emotional energy for that right now. Plus, I suppose If I went out that way, I wouldn’t get a chance to use my secret shortcut for possibly the last time, at least until I’m back on Earth.  
I walk through the high, dry grass in the direction of the north end of the eastern beach. We own most of that part of the coast, but I’m not exactly sure where the property line is. Honestly, I’ve never been clear on why people like to own land if they’re not doing anything with it. Maybe it’s to make sure no one else can use it, or just to say you have it. I decide that the second is probably more likely, seeing as how almost everything my parents do seems to be just so they can say they have it, or did it, or own it. Apparently, at least according to my sister, the name “Sato” used to really mean something, other than just old rich people and trust fund kids. I know that Future Industries used to be owned by our family, and possibly even founded by, I have a hard time remembering things that don’t interest me. Enna doesn’t have that problem, or at least I don’t think she does. I suppose I wouldn’t know if she did, because it seems like everything interests her.  
I reach Dead Woman’s Ledge, an outcropping jutting out some one hundred fifty feet above the sand. It’s named for some heartbroken lady who supposedly killed herself by swan diving off of it hundreds of years ago. I take after my father in my distaste for romance stories, and also in my annoyance with my mother and sister’s obsession with them. I guess I just find them depressing, which is probably the opposite of their purpose (or at least most of them). They’re usually unrealistic, and just end up making me feel bad about myself. I just can’t imagine ever finding someone I would be willing to spend my whole life with. I get annoyed with and sick of people much too easily for that. Sure, I’ve had crushes, but I’m used to relying only on myself, at least emotionally, so I’ve never actually ever been in a romantic relationship. Not that anyone’s ever asked me.  
Jump, my brain says, just like it does every day. Normally, I would just ignore it and keep walking, but today I’m compelled to stop.  
I shouldn’t be going.  
That’s the thought that’s been lurking in the back of my skull since I got my acceptance message almost six months ago, but I realize with a shock that I’ve never said it “out loud” in my head before. But why shouldn’t I be going? It’s not like I’m doing any good here. I’m nineteen, and I can’t even earthbend. For the infinitieth time in my life, I’m astounded by just how inadequate I am at Avatarhood. Yes, I’m the Avatar, and no, no one except for me knows. If they did, there’s no way they would let me leave Earth.  
Really, I know what I should do, and, as always, the thought makes me slightly sick. It would be so easy to continue the cycle right now. So easy, it’s terrifying to think about. But then another child wouldn’t be ready to take on any duties for years, and I wouldn’t really be able to effectively guide them. Plus, the Fire Nation would feel downright insulted to be robbed of a real Avatar, and bad things happen when the Fire Nation is insulted. I wonder, would they be able to figure out that it was me, after I was gone?  
As always, I turn away from the edge, and continue walking. Like a coward. I feel a familiar tightness in my face and throat, but quickly push it away. There’s no point in crying. There never is.


End file.
